This invention relates to a glassware forming machine having a blank station at which parisons are formed in an upwardly open parison mould from gobs of molten glass, and a movable carriage which transfers the parisons from the blank station to a further station of the machine, the carriage having separable neck ring parts which undergo relative movement in timed relationship with the movement of the carriage.
In such a machine provision must be made for driving the carriage between the stations as well as controlling the relative positions of the neck ring parts along the path of movement of the carriage. One way of achieving this, disclosed in British Patent Specification No. 1,491,859 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,120), is to use reciprocable fluid motors to drive the carriage along two spaced parallel guide rails which are fixed in the direction of movement of the carriage but which are rotated in the manner of spindles to control movement of the neck ring parts. Rotation of the two guide rails is transmitted to the two neck ring parts by means of two pinions which are respectively splined on the two guide rails and which mesh with racks, the racks being mounted on the carriage and being relatively movable in a direction perpendicular to the movement of the carriage in order to move the neck ring parts.
In the machine disclosed in the aforementioned prior British and U.S. Patent Specifications, problems have been encountered in maintaining simultaneous control over the closing force applied to the neck ring parts and over the movement of the carriage during transfer of parisons from the blank station.